Kalinga WarWhen Ashoka, the son of the Mauryan emperor Bindusara and the grandson of Chandragupta Maurya, ascended the throne of Magadha in 273 B. C. treading in the footsteps of his forefathers he set out to expand his empire. In the 12th year of his reign, he sent a message to Kalinga (in the present-day state of Odisha) asking for its submission, but the Kalingaraj refused to submit to the Mauryan empire. The Kalinga war was fought on Dhauli hills on the banks of the Dhauli River. As a result, Ashoka leads a huge army against Kalinga. This took place in 261 B. C. , the freedom-loving people of Kalinga offered stiff resistance to the Mauryan army. The whole of Kalinga turned into a battle arena. However, the limited forces of Kalinga were no match for the overwhelming Magadha army. Contrary to Ashoka's expectations, the people of Kalinga fought with such great valour that on a number of occasions they came very close to a victory. The soldiers of Kalinga perished in the battlefield fighting till their last breath for their independence. The victory ultimately rested with Ashoka. The war took a tremendous toll on life and property. The whole area of Kalinga was plundered and destroyed. Ashoka‚¬„¢s 13th Rock Edict describes the Kalinga war vividly. In about 263 BC Ashoka converted to Buddhism. Moggaliputta Tissa, a Buddhist monk, became his mentor. Under Ashoka reign, the Third Council of Buddhism organized in Pataliputra under the presidency of Moggaliputta Tissa.